1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer graphics and animation, and more specifically to techniques for computer simulation of cloth and other materials.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Computer animation, such as is used in computer entertainment video game systems, is becoming more and more realistic. While the simulation and modeling of rigid bodies is fairly advanced, the simulation and modeling of non-rigid bodies such as cloth and clothing is still developing. Cloth is generally more difficult to simulate than rigid bodies because cloth reacts differently to forces such as wind, gravity, collisions with rigid bodies, etc.
The paper “Advanced Character Physics” by Thomas Jakobsen, dated Jan. 21, 2003 (http://www.gamasutra.com/resource_guide/20030121/jacobson—01.shtml), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a Verlet integration scheme for cloth simulation. Verlet integration is a method of calculating classical physics in a way suitable to real-time simulations on computers. It is a method with more stability with larger steps in time than the equations usually used in Newtonian physics. It is most often used for molecular dynamics and real-time computer simulation of objects. A very similar method is often used as an optimized method of water ripple simulation
It is with respect to these and other background information factors that the present invention has evolved.